Russia’s FSB sends armoured personnel carrier to Verkhny Lars checkpoint on border with Georgia

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has announced that it was sending an armoured personnel carrier towards the checkpoint Verkhny Lars on the border with Georgia “in case someone attempts to break through the border checkpoint”, Russian outlet RBC reports, citing FSB.

“The armoured personnel carrier is on its way there, but not to create a security checkpoint. Roughly speaking, it was sent there in case of unforeseen circumstances, if reservists try to break through the border checkpoint and leave the country without [filling out any border-crossing related] paperwork. Only for this reason. There won’t be any security checkpoints put up… The border checkpoint is operating normally, no restrictions for men of military age have been introduced,” representative of the Border FSB Department in North Ossetia–Alania told RBC.

The arrival of Russian servicemen to the border checkpoint Verkhny Lars was reported by Georgian blogger Nikolay Levshits on his Telegram channel. He also writes that the servicemen are putting up a security checkpoint, but this information has not been confirmed as of now.

Several photos and videos showing the armoured personnel carrier not far away from the queue of cars were posted on Telegram channel VERKHNY LARS, where users share their stories of crossing the Russian-Georgian border. The posts were later deleted. 

On 22 September, Russians evading the mobilisation started crossing the Georgian border on scooters. According to Levshits, there are currently around 2,500 cars in line for the exit from Russia on the Russian-Georgian border, the waiting time to cross the border is “at least 36 hours”.